Braiding-machine.



No. 68l,998. Patented Sept. 3, I90l.

J. P. SWIFT.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 14, 1900.. (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet l.

m: was v-zrsns co wvrcmxmo.v WASHINGTON. uv c.

No. 681,998. Patented Sept. 3, 190:. J. P. SWIFT.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

' I (Application filed July 14, 1900.) I (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

up //Vl E N TOR,

Y: Noam PETERS co, PNQYOJATno" wAsmmmM 0. cv

N0. 68l,998. Patented Sept. 3, I90]. J. P. SWIFT.

BBAIDING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 14, 1900.;

6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

HTTY.

W/ TNE M eg TKE NORRIS pzrm w, Pno'nmurua. wAsHrNsTON, o. c.

No. 68!.998. Patented Sept. 3, |90l.-

J. P. SWIFT.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 14, 1900.;

(No MoQiel.) I 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

IIIIII mum;

IIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIII III] - awwavyboz W13 two e o cfaMj? zit 10ft n4: wmxvs PETERS co. wuoroummwunmorou. n c.

J. P. SWIFT.

B RAIDING MACHINE.

No. 68l,998. Patented Sept. 3, [90L 7 7 (Application filed July 14, 1900.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets- Sheet 6.

a wl UNITED STATES PATENT FFIVCE.

JOHN P. SWIFT, OF PAWTUOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

BRAIDlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 1?atent No. 681,998, dated September 3, 1901.

' Application filed July 14, 1900. Serial No- 23,68'7. (N0 model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN P. SWIFT, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Pawtucket, county of Providence, and State of Rhode. Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braiding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in braiding-machines in which the carriers are transmitted about the machine by means of electroniagnets operatingin conjunction with each other or in conjunction with fixed elec-- tromagnets.

One object of my invention is to providea braiding-machine in which revolving heads support electromagnets arranged in series about a common center, which magnets by successive magnetization and demagnetization seizeand transmit the carriers with their spools from one series of magnets to another, said carriers constituting the armatures of the magnets.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic stop device in a braidingmachine by which in case of any failure in the current charging the magnets or in case of the breaking of a thread or the exhausting of the supply upon the spools a clutch by which the entire mechanism of the machine is operated will be released, thus stopping the machine.

These various purposes are accomplished by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the entire machine viewed from above; Fig. 2, the same with a portion of the bed-plate broken away, showing the commutators and the drivinggear; Fig. 3, an elevation of a single head with its commutators, drivin gear, and spools; Fig. 4, a detail drawing showing a part of the tension mechanism; Figs. 5 and 6, detailed views of the transmitting heads and commutators on an enlarged scale. Fig.7 is an elevation of the entire machine. Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective of two of the groups of electromagnets, spool-carriers, and spools. Fig. 9 is a perspective of a portion of the machine to better illustrate the stoplever and its electromagnet R; and Fig. 10 is an enlarged inverted plan of three of the 1 and '2.

commutators, their brushes, and operatinggears.

In Fig. 1, B B represent the bed-plate of the entire machine, approximately in the form of a circle. Equidistant from the center of the bed-plate are arranged the heads 0 p op', &c., each consisting of a group of four electromagnets arranged at regular intervals about the center of the head.

'n is the pulley by which power is transmitted to the machine.

dis a clutch which connects the shaft n with the pulley n.

R R represent a raised ring of metal, integral or fixed upon the bed-plate of the machine, and upon a flange projecting upward from R R rests the toothed ring r r r, &c. (Shown in section more distinctly in Fig. 3.) This toothed ring revolves easily upon the projecting flange of R R, its travel, however, being limited by the pin a, set in the bed B B.

to w are portions of the spool-carrier, explained more fully hereinafter.

D is an electrical conductor shunted from the main conductor E, Fig. 7, and after passing around and forming the electromagnet R terminates in a bare metallic band 0, Fig. l, insulated, however, from the bed of the machine B B. The electromagnets upon the heads terminate in the poles pp, p p, pp,

850., (seen best in Fig. 3,) and each group of magnets is fixed upon and revolves with the vertical spindles S S. These spindles are supported by a hollow standard S, which is bolted or otherwise suitably fixed to the bed of the machine.

with each other and are driven by the bevel-.

gear V, (seen in Figs. 7 and 9,) which is fixed upon the shaft connected with the clutch 21, said shaft and bevel-gear driving the entire machine. There is also an auxiliary gear as in mesh with one of the gears below the bed of the machine, as seen at the right in Figs. This gear is fixed upon the vertical shaft terminated by a handle D, and upon this shaft is fixed the worm x, which with the Z. (Seen best in Fig. 7.) The direction of the gears and the electromaguets 19 1 l 1 pp, 850., is shown by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2.

The clutch t in Fig. 7 is provided with a yoke k, integral with the lever M, which lever is pivoted at f and terminates in the bandle m.

R in Fig. 7 is an electromagnet having its poles projecting downwardly, so that the lever M, being flattened where it meets said poles, forms an armature therefor, and when a current is passing through the magnet the lever M after being raised, as shown in the figure, is retained in position by the magnet R, and the clutch 2'- then connects the shaft with the driving-pulley n. So long as the current passes through the magnet R the handle m remains in position and the machine continues in operation. Attached to the lever M is a weight f, which serves the instant the current is broken to pull the handle m downward, thus releasing the clutch i by means of the yoke 70, and the whole mechanism stops.

Fig. 3 shows one of the revolving heads with the carriers and spools in position. In this figure m m m are electromagnets, each independent of the other and mounted upon the plate L, secured at the top by the circular plate or washer 0. These magnets are provided with pole-pieces p p, p p, p p, &c., and, as shown in the present drawings, four magnets constitute a group arranged equidistant about the plate L. The pole-pieces p p, p p, p p, &c., are milled out with semicircular depressions, (shown best in Fig. 5

and also in Fig. 1,) so as to accommodate the carrier 70, which carries the spool 12. The number of magnets in each group may be varied, however, to suit varying requirements in the product. The armature forming shank it of the carrier, Fig. 3, is hollow and has fixed near its upper extremity the circular Washer or flange w and at its lower extremity the flange w, to which is attached the tension arm H, provided with upper and lower apertures h 72'. Below the plate to the holder terminates in a hollow cylindrical spindle, upon which the bobbin 1) easily revolves. The thread which forms the braid goes from the bobbin 1) through the perforation h in the arm I-I, thence down through lower perforation h, and upward again through the hollow spindle and shank 7c, and thence out at the top, as shown at y y, whence it goes to the center to form the braid. The upper head of the spool b is furnished with projecting pins t 25, Fig. 4., which operate with the member H to control the rotation of the spools. These pins 75 t are in the present instance four in number, attached at equal distances about the head of the bobbin or spool b. The number of these pins, however, may be changed to suit conditions. As the thread is drawn from the bobbin by the draft-rolls the pull upon the bobbin operates in two waysfirst, it serves to keep the bobbin suspended and out of contact with the arms '7' r, &c., and, second, it causes the bobbin to revolve upon the spindle. As the bobbin revolves the pins 15 t strike the side of arm H and the bobbin rises until the pins 25 I? reach and pass over the top of the beveled face 8, formed on the inner face of the arm 11 at the upper end thereof, and the spool falls again until the succeeding pin t again strikes the side of arm H, when the same thing occurs as before. The weight of the bobbin thus bearing continuously upon the thread gives to the tension the necessary steadiness, and the pins t 25, hearing against arms H, prevent the toofree feeding of the thread, thus serving to render the tension regular. In Fig. 4 is seen a top view of the bobbin 5, with the pins 73 t and the beveled face 8. The current supplying the magnets m m, &c., enters through the main conductor E, Fig. 7, by the post 0 and brush-holder M, Fig. 3, and thence through the brush it to the commutator O. This commutator is divided into segments which may be varied in number in accordance with the kind of braid desired. The post 0 and brushholder 1/. are insulated from the bed of the machine B by suitable insulating material 0. g is the driving-gear operating the spindle on which is mounted the head carrying the magnets m m, &c. w The return-wires from the magnets connect with the plate- L, Fig. 3, by the screws 6 e, &c., and the .current thus passes back through the machine itself, which is the return-conductor, to the exit E.

Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of the magnets and carriers upon the plate L and also the bobbins in position to produce what is known to the trade as plain braid, while Fig. 6 shows the plan of the brushes and commutators and the connections for the electric current. In Fig. 5 are seen the arms r 7" of the automatic stopping mechanism and the pin a, which controls its travel. It will be seen by Fig. 5 that the plates L L, carrying the pole-piecespp, 19 p, &c., are so mounted with reference to each other about the bed 13 of the machine that as the various heads revolve with their magnets the cylindrical depressions in the poles come opposite each other in adjacent series, so as to accommodate the shank k of the bobbin-carrier. The cylindrical depressions in the poles p p are made in their present shape for convenience merely. A rectangular or other form of depression might, however, be utilized, if need be, the essential element being that the depression shall be of such a shape as to fit the shank 7c of the bobbin-carrier and have approximately the same cross-section as said shank it. In Fig. 6, O O represent the commutators divided into segments, being in the present machine four in number. it it u are the brushes furnishing the current to the commutators through the post 0 and brushholders it, which are in electrical contact with the metallic strips cl d d, which serve to carry the current around the entire machine.

The method of operating my machine is as follows: A current of electricity is passed through the conductor E, the post 0, and brush-holder t0 and the various strips and brushes d d cl, nu u, &c., to the commutators of the various magnets. It will readily be seen that if the current was passed continuously through any single magnet of a series and the armature forming shank k of the bobbin-carrier placed in the depression in the poles n 10 and no bobbin-carrier placed in the adjacent series the plate L, with the magnets and bobbins, would revolve continuously, the bobbins remaining in place. By the operation of the commutators, however, the current is changed in such a manner that as a bobbin-carrier in one group reaches a point nearly opposite the depression in the pole p p of the adjacent group the current of the magnet supporting the carrier in the first group is cut off. The current in the adjacent group is at the same instant turned onto the magnet whose poles are approaching the shank of the carrier thus released, and as the mag net of the first group releases the carrier the magnet of the second group seizes it, and the carrier and spool are thus transmitted from one head to another in any desired course, according to the arrangement of the commutators and the kind of braid to be made. The course of the bobbins in the present instance is seen best in Figs. 1 and 2, where the arrows represent the directions of revolution of the various series.

In the style of machine shown in the present drawings only two magnets are charged at the same time in any one head, and the course of the bobbins is such that the thread from each bobbin passes over two and under two other threads, forming what is called plain braid. Thenumberof bobbins, however, in a group and the number of magnets, or the combination of the two, may be varied at will, so as to form any style or kind of braid desired.

The automatic stopping arrangement operating through the clutch t and the toothed ring 0' r r, 850., (seen in Figs. 1, 3, and 5,) is as follows: The spools b are kept suspended by the tension upon the thread y y, as shown in Fig. 3. Should it happen, however, that a thread should break or that the supply of thread upon the bobbin should become exhausted, then the bobbin I) immediately drops upon its spindle, as shown by the dotted lines 1), Fig. 3. As it drops it is borne along in its course by the revolution of the head and engages the projecting tooth 1' of the toothed ring 1' r 1-, C. The toothed ring at once commences to revolve, pushed by the bobbin, until the tooth r of Fig. 1 becomes separated from the conductor 0. The current supplying the magnet B, Fig. 7, is thus broken. The handle m, with the lever M, at once drops, disengaging the clutch 'i from the driving-pulley n, and the machine stops and remains stopped until the handle m is again raised and the tooth r of the ringrrr brought in contact with the conductor 0. The machine may also be stopped by hand by means of a handle which is fixed upon the ring 1* r r and projects outwardly beyond the bed B of the machine. This handle is shown in dotted lines by 2, Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that in case of the exhausting of thread upon a spool or in case of the breaking of a thread and the consequent stopping of the machine it will not be necessary to keep the machine idle until the bobbin can be again threaded; but spare carriers with their bobbins mounted and threaded ready for insertion into the head maybe kept on hand, and all that will be necessary in case of the stopping of the machine from the causes me11- tioned will be to remove the bobbin and carrier and insert a new carrier with a full bobbin, when the machine may be again started and the bobbin then removed may be threaded or replaced by a full one at the leisure of the operator.

As hereinbefore stated, it is not essential to my invention that all the electromagnets should be movable, as shown in the braidingmachine above described. For some purposes it may be necessary to use one or more movable electromagnets in conjunction with one or more fixed electromagnets. Thus one or more movable electromagnets may operate to transmit an armature from one fixed magnet to another in a prescribed course or alternately to and from one fixed magnet. I desire also to state that although the present drawings show an arrangement for the production of plain tubular braid only any kind or style of braid may be manufactured by my machine by a simple adjustment of the commutators, such adjustment determining whether the armature shall be carried through a portion or the whole of a revolution of any given-head, and thus delivered either to the next head in course or back to the head from which it was received.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat cut, is-

1. The combination with a movable electromagnet and means for operating the same, of a second electromagnet, a carrier comprising an armature adapted to be carried around by the first magnet to the second and there left, and mechanism for magnetizing the first magnet during the time it is so carrying the armature and until it brings the armature into proper relation to the said second magnet and then demagnetizing the first magnet and magnetizing the second magnet to cause it to withdraw the armature from the first magnet; substantially as described.

2. A braiding-machine, comprising carriers for the material composing the braid each having an armature portion, mechanism for transmitting the said carriers from one point to another in a given course and comprising revolving groups of electromagnets, a magnet of any group being adapted to receive a carrier from a magnet of an adjacent group, carry it through a complete or any desired portion of a revolution and deliver it to the magnet of another group or to a magnet of the same group from which it was received, and means for effecting the magnetization and demagnetization of the magnets to hold and release the carrier, substantially as described.

3. In a braiding-machine the combination of the following elements, viz: a series of groups of electromagnets, each group revolving about a vertical axis, the pole-pieces of each magnet in any group being adapted to come into opposition to the pole-pieces of a magnet in each adjacent group; said pole-pieces being milled to receive an armature of any desired shape; suitable armatures adapted to carry the material composing the braid, and commutators connecting said magnets with a source of electricityin such a manner that any given magnet in one group will engage an armature, transmit it through a part or the whole of a revolution of such group and deliver it to a magnet of the same group from which it was received, or to a magnet of another adjacent group, substantially as set forth.

4. Inabraiding-machine an automatic stopmotion comprising means for connecting the source of power with the mechanism of the machine; an armature fixed upon and constituting part of said means; and an electromagnet adapted to maintain said connection by engagement with said armature and to release said connection when the current of said magnet is broken, substantially as described.

5. In a braiding-machine an automatic stopmotion consisting of a clutch connecting the machine with the source of power; a lever attached to said clutch so weighted as normally to keep said clutch disconnected; an armature fixed-upon said lever; an electromagnet adapted while the circuit is closed to maintain by engagement with said armature the connection aforesaid and to break such connection when the circuit is broken; and means for the automatic breaking of said circuit, substantially as specified.

6. In a braiding-machine an automatic stopmotion consisting of the following parts, viz: a clutch connecting the source of power with the machine; a weighted lever operating said clutch and normally keeping it out of connection with the source of power; an armature fixed upon and comprising a part of said lever; an electromagnet operating by engagement with said armature when the circuit is closed,

to maintain the connection aforesaid; a partially-revoluble toothed wheel normally in electrical circuit with said magnet, and a spool suspended by the yarn and adapted by the breaking or exhaustion of the same to drop and by engagement with one of said teeth to move said wheel sufficiently to break the circuit of said magnet and automatically release the clutch aforesaid, substantially as set forth.

7. A braiding-machine, com prisin ga series of groups of electromagnets, each group revolving about a vertical axis, the pole-pieces in each magnet in any group being adapted to come into opposition to the pole-pieces of a magnet in each adjacent group, armatnres having depending spool-carrying spindles provided with tension-arms, and means for magnetizing and demagnetizing the magnets to cause one magnet to carry said armature to a magnet of another series and then release it as it is attracted by the said second magnet; substantially as described.

8. In an electromagnetic braiding-machine, a spool-carrier comprising a tubular armature having a depending tubular spool-carrying spindle, and a tension-arm parallel with and offset from said spindle, said arm having upper and lower thread or yarn perforations and a recess at the upper end of its inner face; substantially as described.

9. The combination, in an electromagnetic braiding-machine, of a spool-carrier com prising a tubular armature terminating in a tubular spool-carrying spindle, and a tensionarm offset from and parallel with the spindle; said tension-arm having upper and lower thread-apertures and a recess in the upper end of its inner face, with a spool provided with radial arms to engage the tension-arm and at intervals ride upward thereon to and through said recess; substantially as set forth.

10. In an electromagnetic braiding machine, a spool-carrier comprising a tubular armature terminating in a tubular spool-carrying spindle, flanges w, w, projecting out from the ends of the armature and a tensionarm depending from the lower flange w and provided with upper and lower apertures and a recess in the upper end of its inner face; substantially as described.

11. A carrier for braiding-machines con sisting of a cylinder composed of magnetic materialhaving projectingdownwardly therefrom a spindle, and an arm parallel thereto,

said spindle and cylinder forming a continuous tube a bobbin revoluble on said spindle, the thread from the bobbin passing through the arm, thence under the bobbin and up through said spindle and cylinder in such a manner that the weight of the bobbin is sustained and said bobbin kept in place on the spindle by the tension of the thread; and means to check the rotation of said bobbin until said tension lifts the same to a desired height, substantially as set forth for the purpose specified.

12. A carrier for braiding-machines consisting of a cylinder of magnetic material, having projecting downwardly therefrom and integral therewith a spindle, and an arm adjacent and parallel thereto; said arm having near one end thereof a recess upon its inner IIO IO bobbin until the tension on the thread lifts l the same and permits the escapement of the pin through the recess aforesaid; substantially as described.

Signed at Pawtucket this 30th day of June, I

JOHN P. SWIFT.

Witnesses:

FLORENCE E. BATES, JAMES L. JENKS. 

